Tag Archives: cuts

Fianna Fáil Deputy Dara Calleary has accused the government of treating children with special needs as an ‘easy target’ for budget cuts. Schools in Mayo and right across the country are to be hit with yet another dramatic reduction in resource hours from September. This follows a 10% cut in June 2011 and a further 5% and cut in June 2012. Overall, resource hours for children with special needs will be down 25% in the lifetime of this government. Deputy Calleary has described it as an outrageous decision that will have an impact right across the school system. “This is very distressing news, particularly for parents of children with special […]

Mayo Deputy Dara Calleary has called on Fine Gael and Labour to rethink their ‘disgraceful and highly discriminatory’ changes to the Farm Assist payment. The Fianna Fáil Deputy said the changes to the qualification criteria for Farm Assist introduced in the Budget have already had an enormous impact on the most vulnerable farmers in Mayo, to the point that for many of them, it’s simply not worth their while continuing to farm. “These changes, which were introduced by the Social Protection Minister Joan Burton in Budget, came into effect at the beginning of this month. The 1,817 farmers affected in Mayo have seen a huge cut in their income as […]

Mayo Fianna Fáil Deputy Dara Calleary has revealed that approximately 175 people with severe disabilities in Co Mayo will see a 20% cut in State supports from July. According to new figures obtained by Fianna Fáil, 160 people with disabilities in Co Mayo who have been in receipt of the Mobility Allowance will see a dramatic reduction in their income from July. It follows the Government’s decision last month to axe the scheme. In addition to this A further 15 people will be hit by the cut to the Motorised Transport Grant. Deputy Calleary described it as a ‘savage cut’ that will have an enormous impact on people with disabilities […]